Thursday, June 20,
2002
Lack of a rival
does not diminish Tiger's greatness
By Scott Bordow
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)
Babe Ruth hit 59
homers in 1921. His closest competitors, Ken Williams and Bob
Meusel, had 24 apiece.
Secretariat won the
1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, finishing his Triple Crown
run with a romp for the ages.
Edwin Moses won 122
consecutive 400-meter intermediate hurdles races from August 1977
to May 1987.
You won't find a
soul who diminishes their achievement for want of a rival.
Yet for Tiger Woods
to be truly appreciated, for his greatness to be fully validated,
he needs an Alydar. Someone to challenge him. Push him. Not back
down when it's Sunday afternoon at a major, and reputations are
on the line.
At least that was
the storyline that emerged from Woods' three-shot victory in the
U.S. Open. He was halfway home to the Grand Slam, had won seven
of the last 11 majors played, and all anyone could talk about
was his lack of competition.
Who did Woods beat,
after all? Sergio Garcia and his nervous tick. Phil Mickelson
and his 0-for-40 streak in majors. Jeff Maggert.
Jack Nicklaus had
Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Gary Player staring
into the whites of his eyes. Woods' rivals _ if you can call them
that _ drop their guns and turn tail at the sight of him.
Two years ago Woods
took the first-round lead in the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando,
Fla. Colin Montgomerie was scared right out of his spikes.
"The tournament
is finished and everybody is playing to see who is going to finish
second," Montgomerie said.
That cowardice has
created, if not a backlash against Woods, a feeling that we'll
never see his absolute best unless he has a worthy foil.
Are you kidding me?
First of all, those
who suggest Woods has had it easy in the majors aren't doing their
homework. He beat Garcia by just one stroke in the 1999 PGA Championship.
The following year he needed to shoot 5-under 67 on Sunday and
birdie the 72nd hole just to force a playoff with Bob May.
Then there was the
2001 Masters. Only four champions in Masters history had better
scores than David Duval's 14-under 288. All that got Duval was
second place, two shots behind Woods.
I'll admit no player
has stepped up and challenged Woods on a consistent basis. But
I believe that only makes his dominance more impressive.
Woods won the 1997
Masters by 12 strokes, setting a scoring record in the process.
It may have been the most dominant performance the sport has ever
seen.
Woods' response?
He completely rebuilt his swing because he wanted to be better.
You think a rival
will push Woods harder than he pushes himself? Please. Woods is
Michael Jordan. His competitiveness and killer instinct are unparalleled
among his peers.
Woods is not concerned
with what Garcia, Mickelson or Duval are doing. He has a bigger
game in mind: Nicklaus' 18 majors and recognition as the greatest
golfer ever. That's all the motivation he needs.
Would I like to see
someone battle Woods down the stretch in the British Open next
month? Sure. But if Woods cruises again, I'm not going to belittle
his foes as much as admire his greatness.
The guys choking
on Woods' exhaust aren't bad.
He's just that good.
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